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A09841	A newe treatise of the right reckoning of yeares, and ages of the world, and mens liues, and of the estate of the last decaying age thereof this 1600. yeare of Christ, (erroniouslie called a yeare of Iubilee) which is from the Creation, the 5548. yeare. Conteining sundrie singularities, worthie of observation, concerning courses of times, and revolutions of the heauen, and reformations of kalendars, and prognistications: with a discourse of prophecies and signes, preceeding the latter daye, which by manie arguments appeareth now to approch. With a godlie admonition in the end, vpon the words of the Apostle, to redeeme the time, because the dayes are evill. By M. Robert Pont, an aged pastour in the Kirk of Scotland. The heades are set downe in certaine propositions, in the page following.	Pont, Robert, 1524-1606.	1599 (1599)	STC 20104; ESTC S114916	62,367	102

neere the middest of this last weeke about the 31. yeare of his age Now to come to the yeare before the birth of Christ we must take off 35. yeares which will be fiue weekes of yeares and so there will remaine of the 70. weekes of Daniel 65. weekes which make 455. yeares and adde thereto the 63. yeares interlaced betweene the 7. weekes and 62. weekes The summe of yeares then from the first yeare of Cyrus or from the captivity to Christ wil come justlie to 518 yeares as I set downe in the beginning of this reckoning and adde these 518. yeares to 3430. yeares which was our ground and second staie of time The whole summe of yeares from the creation to the birth of Christ are 3948. yeares Nowe wee haue further to verifie this forwarde reckoning from the captivitie to Christ to be iuste and agreeable to the trueth which I sha●● do both by reason and count of Sabbatical years and yeares of Iubilee and also by Scripture and beste approoved Histories of these times First for Sabbaticall reckoning it is manifest that Daniel hath respecte thereto in the count of his 70 weekes which make 10 Iubilees of yeares counte Now it was proven before that the 3430. yeare of the Worlde endeth in an Iubilee to witte counting 70. Iubilees from the beginning and 490 Sabbathes of yeares which is the same number that Daniell comprehendeth in his 70. weekes to wit 490 single yeares so that there bene as manie years in this Periode of Daniell as were weekes of yeares from the beginning of the World to the beginning of his reckoning And seeing he counteth by Sabbathes of yeares and Iubilees his count vpon 490. yeares muste needes follow immediatly the other reckoning of 490 weekes of yeares from the beginning of the world so must proceed from the 3430. yeare of the World consequently from the first yeare of Cyrus Secondly we haue to remember the seconde authoritie which I alleadged out of the 8. Chapter of the Revelation for the second warrant of Scripture to confirme this our reckoning In that Chapter mention is made of seaven Angels to whome seaven Trumpets were given by God to blow and to declare thinges that were to fall out in the World thereafter The blowing of Trumpettes being figuratiuely spoken hath respect to the blowing of the Trumpets at the ende of every Iubilee as is mentioned in the Law the 25 ● Chapter of Leviticus whereby it may be gathered that the distinct times wherein these Trumpets figuratiuely were blowen that is the Angels and Ministers of God declared his will concerning the estate of the World his Church therein after every Trumpet blowing were yeares of Iubilee For Iubilee taketh the name from Trumpets we know that the Preaching of the word of God is also figured by blowing of Trumpets Esay 27. and 58. And in the beginning of that 8. Chapter of the Revelation it is declared that at the opening of the seaventh seale of the closed booke of the counsell of GOD the first Angell prepared him to blow his Trumpet Now the opening of the seaven seales of the Booke signifyeth as all godly writers expone it the revelation and declaration of the hid counsels of GOD which was when he sent his beloved Sonne in the worlde first to Preach the Gospell by himselfe and his Apostles and thereafter by the lawfull Pastours and Ministers of his VVorde declarers of his holy will vnto the world the space of opening of these seales as they were seaven in number so everie Seale opening comprehendeth the space of seaven yeares And the first seavent year of the first Seale is the last weeke of the 70. weekes of Daniel called The fulnesse of time by Paule wherein the Gospell begouth first to bee preached From the which counting by seauens we finde the opening of the seauent Seale to fall vpon the 71 yeare after the birth of Christ as likewise the blowing of the first Trumpet consequently the 70. yeare to compleate a Iubilee of yeares whereanent who would know further let them reade that learned and divine worke of IOHN NAPER in the exposition of the Revelation the 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. propositions Now having found the 70. yeare of Christe to be the 49. and last yeare of Iubilee let vs count backe from the 71. yeare of Christ to the first yeare of Cyrus by Iubilees and we shall finde by our former reckoning the space of 588. yeares which make 12. Iubilees compleete and leaue no odde yeares For the 70. weeks of Daniel make ten Iubilees and the 63. yeares interjected betweene the 7. weekes and 62. weekes together with 35. years that are betweene the end of the weekes of Daniel the 71. year of Christ being joyned together mak● 98. years two just Iubilees So that they ar 12 Iubilees in the whole frō the 3430. year of the world to the 71. yeare of Christ. And from the beginning of the VVorlde to that 71. yeare 82. Iubilees Yet further to make this reckoning good by Histories of the time we finde by count of the Kings of the Persian and Babylonian Monarchie by Megasthenes corruptly called Metasihenes the Persian Historiographer whervnto Philo the the Iewe in his Chronologie aggreeth counting by the yeares of the Hie-Priestes and governours of the house of David to witte from Iehosua the Hie-Priest Zorobabel Prince of Iuda and first Governour after the Captivitie that betweene the first yeare of Cyrus and the first yeare of Alexander the Great conquerour of the Persian and Babylonian Empire were 191. yeares VVhereof 49. yeares are reckoned from the first of Cyrus to the 6. yeare of Darîus Long●manus who was the seconde that gaue libertie to build the Temple as was declared of before For Cyrus raigned 22. yeares Assu●rus Pris●us 20. yeares Then there was the inter-reigne of one yeare Then adde to those 6. yeares of Darîus they make vp these 49. yeares And from the 6. yeare of Darîus Longimanus to the 14. of Great Artaxerxes called Mnemon are 63. yeares thus reckoned Darîus reigned yet 31. yeares Darîus Nothus 19. yeares adde 13. of Artaxerxes the summe is 63. years And from Cyrus 12 yeares So there resteth from the 13. of Artaxerxes to Alexander 79. yeares thus reckoned Artaxerxes yet raigned 42. yeares Artaxerxes Ochus 26. A●ses 4. and Darîus the last vanquished by Alexander 6. yeares The summe is 79. yeares completing the 191. yeares before mentioned Now least any should derogate the authoritie of Megasthenes and Philo in counting of these yeares of the Persian Monarchie I will affirme for my part them to be most authentick of all that I haue read whatsoever be said against them And that they are to be prefer●ed to all the Greeke authors who are of light credite and full of Fables as I intende to declare at large in my more ample discourse For as to Combyses whom they make one of the Persian Monarches if wee reade diligentlie the

the sixe Kalendas of March it is named in latine Bissextus or Biss●xtilis annus for the Romanes diuided their moneths in Kalendas Nonas and Idus Now Iulius Caesar begouth his yeare at the kalendes of Ianuarie which was then when the Sun entred in the eight degree of Capricorne eight daies after the winter Solstiti●m which then being the shortest day of the yeare fel vpon the 25. day of December And the Spring time Equiuoctium when the Sun entred in Aries after that old reckoning fell vpon the 25. day of March. And the Sommer Sols●itium making the longest day vppon the 25. of Iune And the harvest Equinoctium about the 26. or 27. day of September The which places of the Sun are now changed and slyden backe in the Iulian Kalendar by reason of the prevention of the Equ●noctial whereof I spak in the fourth proposition to the 12. 11. or 10. day of the said Monethes and 13. or 14. of September The chiefe cause hereof besides the prevention of the Equinoctial is that the Iulian yeare reckoned by Caesar to conteine 365. dayes six od hours conteineth somewhat more then the just calculation For by true Astronomical reckoning there wil be every yeare taking off the sixe odde houres elleven minutes of an houre and certaine secondes The which in the space of 130. yeare or thereby will make vp an whole daye And so in the space of 1645. yeares which is the time since Iulius Caesar set out his Kalendar there will be ●ore then the space of thirteene dayes accressed to be taken away from the count of the odde sixe houres about the 365. dayes of the Iulian year For this cause sundrie learned men of our memory and time haue earnestly desired that some Reformation of the Iulian Kalendar might be made to bring the same to the old estate and institution thereof as it was firste set foorth by reason of divers inconvenients that by processe of time occurre by neglecting thereof And namely that the aggreement of the course of the Sun with the Moone which two Planets were ordained of God in the beginning to distinguish times cannot thereby as it is now be knowen The which mater being proponed to divers general councels could not tak effect till now lately in our daies with favour of Pope Gregory the 13. his Cardinals counsels it was permitted in the 1582. year of Christ to one Aloysius Lilius professor in Mathematical Astronomie to set downe this long desired reformation Who having performed the same after his maner hath thereby purchased a merveilous assent of divers Princes cuntries to accept authorize the same Albeit not without divers contradictions For in the year 1584. in Auspurge of Rhaetia there fell out a great commotion both in the Church civil governement therof As also the 1585. yeare in Riga of Lituania great trouble was raised till finally it was agreed that the old Kalendar should stande as it was before without reformatiō And many cuntries yet there be that haue nor accepted not allowed this pretended correction Now as concerning this reformer Aloysius Lilius albeit as it is supposed he would haue brought the Iulian Kalendar to the old estate as it was in the beginning or neere thereby yet they of the Papisticall Clergy others to whom the reformation therof was first proponed would not agree that it shuld be drawen back any further but to the time of the Nicene councell which was holden and concluded in the 328. yeare of Christ herefore hee was forced to begin thereat And because there interveend betweene that time and the 1582. yeare of Christ the space of 1254. yeares hee brought backe the reck●ning of the Iulian Kalendar onelie tenne dayes seting foorth a newe Kalendar wherein he had respect to twelue hundreth years with so many ods to wit 54. yeares For the which cause he was also forced to alter the Cycle of the Sunne the which is not compleeted but in 28. yeares and so to change the Sundayes letter to an other thē that which was founde in the olde Kalendar books nowe this reformation of the olde Kalendar albeit it was exactly calculate to the time of the Nicene councel yet it maketh a great change from the reckoning of the old kalendar and putteth many men in doubt what to follow whether the olde style of counte or the new And hath brought great controuersie in diuers places as partly I shew before seing that the day of the natiuity of christ other festiual dayes as they cal them daies of holding faires mercates are changed holden ten dayes before the accustomed times And merchandes and others in making their contractes and obligationes are often disappoynted of their dayes of payment with diuerse others such inconueniences where as it had bene farre easier without any such perceptable change if so great neede had bene to reforme the olde Kalendar to haue done as yet it may bedone if it please Christian Princes and countries to agree therevnto after this manner to witte that for the space of 56 yeares following this 1600 yeare of Christ there should be no leap yeare at al But al years to be common equal conteining 365 dayes onely according to the quantity of the olde Egiptian yeare So that two cycles of the Sunne should passe by continuall progresse in the Kalendar by A B C D E F G wsthout any variation during these 56 yeares to bring it to the first institution leauing out the foureteene od letters of leape yeare which are now interlaced in euery two Cycles of the Sunne for in them are fourteene times foure which make 14 leap yeares So by this reckoning 14 dayes being left out in the space of 56 years the year should come to the same estare wherein it was at the first setting foorth thereof by Iulius Casar which was 45 yeares before the birth of Christ. And these fourty fiue yeares added to the fiftie sixe yeares before mentioned make 101. yeares which 101. yeares being added to 1600. yeares which nowe haue bene from the birth of Christ will make vp in the whole 1701. yeares which being divided by 130. by true calculation giue in the quotient thirtteene whole dayes and there will remaine after division twentie odde houres and fourty sixe Minutes of an houre laking only three houres fourteene Minutes to accomplish twenty foure houres For the fourteen daye which is no perceptible difference and will be made vp in the space of sixteene yeares thereafter And giving this reformation should not be made till sixteene yeares here after were past it should make vp the selfe So by this maner of correcting of the Kalendar it were casie to bring the Iulian yeare to the first institution letting the Cycle of the Sunne after the 56. yeares before mentionate returne to the former estate as it is now set downe in our Almanackes as for example If this Reformation should be attempted to beginne in the yeare 1601.

A NEWE TREATISE OF THE RIGHT RECKONING OF YEARES AND AGES of the World and mens liues and of the estate of the last decaying age thereof this 1600. yeare of Christ Erroniouslie called a yeare of Iubilee which is from the Creation the 5548. yeare Conteining sundrie singularities worthie of observation concerning courses of times and revolutions of the Heauen and reformations of Kalendars and Prognostications with a discourse of Prophecies and signes preceeding the latter daye which by manie arguments appeareth now to approch With a godlie admonition in the end vpon the words of the Apostle to redeeme the time because the dayes are evill By M. ROBERT PONT and aged Pastour in the Kirk of Scotland The heades are set downe in certaine Propositions in the Page following LVKE 17. As it was in the dayes of Noe so shall it be in the dayes of the Sonne of man EDINBVRGH PRINTED BY ROBERT WALDE-GRAVE PRINter to the Kings Maiestie Anno 1599. Cum Priuilegio Regio The propositiones and heads to be handled in this Treatise 1. THat the most sure reckoning of the ages of the worlde is by Sabbathes or weekes of yeares and that they who count without respect thereof are in an errour and that by iust account this 1600. yeare of Christ is from the beginning of the world the 5548. yeare 2 That this yeare of Christ 1600. by right reckoning is neither a Sabbaticall yeare nor yet a yeare of Iubilee and that the true Iubilee of Christianes is alreadie accomplished with detection of the abuse of the counterfaited Iubilees holden at Rome 3 That the Iubilee of the Papisticall Romanistes neither doth rightly counterfaite the Iewes neither the Seculare yeares of the auncient Romanes And of diverse manners of reckoning the ages of the Worlde and of mens liues 4 That in our time the signes and revolutiones of the heaven are changed and remooved from the olde accustomed places And therefore the vulgare Prognosticators reckoning by the olde rules are in an errour 5 That the Iulian or Romane Kalendare might receiue an easier reformation and that the late attempted reformation thereof is not well taken vp but giveth occasion of errour in reckoning 6 That there is a merveilous sympathie of periodes of times in reckoning by seuens by Sabbatical yeares and of the manifold mysteries of the number of seauen 7 That there is an appearant dangerous alteration to fall out this yeare within few yeares hereafter and of the Prophecies and signes declaring to vs the world to be neare an end 8 An admonition to all men to prepare themselues and to redeeme the time because the dayes are evill TO THE RIGHT REVEREND● NOBLE LORD ALEXANDER SEYTON L. Vrquhard and Fyvie President in the Senate of Iustice and Provest of Edinburgh c. All health and felicitie in Christ. YOur Lordshippes gentle humanitie toward all honeste and well-hearted men and namely towards me since my first acquaintance hath mooved mee to dedicate to your honour this parte of the fruite of my studies knowing that amongst the rare Mecenases of this Land your name is with the highest ranke vnder his Maiestie to be mentioned The first cause I confesse that mooved mee to publish this Treatise in our English tongue was to disswade the too curious conceites of certaine men desirous to be at Rome this approching 1600. yeare commonly called a year of Iubilee wherof they shuld receiue no profit but rather domage with losse of time expenses For your L. knows wel ynough the maners of Rome as I am perswaded allowes not of that pompose superstition yet if your L. wil take paines not being fashed with more weighty matters to reade this whole discourse I trust you shall finde other heads whereof you shal like verie well that haue troubled the heades of learned men and not bene so exactly found out Wishing your L. to accept of this smal token of my good fauor towards your honor and to accept of me amongst the clientele of your friendship wherfore God-willing ye shall not finde me vnworthie To whose almightie protection I commit your L. This last of October 1599. Your L. ever ready to power in God ROBERT PONT TO THE READERS HAVing in hand a more large work● concerning controllment and examination of times by occasion of this incident 1600. yeare of Christ which is reckoned by the Papistes and others applauding to their superstition to be a yeare of Iubilee I thought good to prevent that errour by this little Treatise discevering thereby the vanitie of divers men of this Ile of others far cuntries who with great los of time and hazard not onely of their substance and liues but also of their soules and consciences minde to visite that Idole the Pope and to be present in Rome onely to see his yeare of Iubilee falsely being counterfaited to the imitation of the Iubilees of the Iewes but indeede derogatory to the true Iubilee and spirituall libertie purchased vnto vs by our Saviour Christ. And for-as-much as this instante yeare is the ende of a great Period of time to witte sixteene hundreth yeares from Christ his nativitie wherein there appeares diverse great mutationes to fall out aswel in the estate of Religion as in civill affaires and common wealthes I haue herewith not onely discovered diverse erroures in reckoning of times and ages of the Worlde and laboured to finde out the right reckoning but also touched the revolution of the heauen and reformation of Kalendars and Prognostications and declared my iudgement concerning the Prophecies and signes of the latter day appearing nowe shortly to approche If any be not satisfied with the brevitie of this Treatise I re●●itte them to my more ample discourse to be set out in Latine if GOD graunt me abilitie and time wherein the proofe of these propositiones with other matters of the like arguments will be conteined at large Read learne-well and try Then judge advisedly OF THE DECAYING ESTATE OF THE worlde this instante 1600. yeare of Christ. FIRST PROPOSITION That the most sure reckoning of the age of the worlde is by Sabbath's of yeares and they that count not considdering the same are in an errour and that by iust account this 1600. yeare from Christ his birth is from the beginning of the worlde the 5548. yeare IN The beginning as the Spirite of God recordeth by MOYSES after that the Lord in sixe dayes had created the Heaven Earth with all the furniture thereof Hee rested vpon the seventh day Therefore hee blessed it and hallowed it This is also repeated in the fourth Commandemente for the perpetuall observation of that daye and because the number of seauen by that reason is a sacred nomber and most meete for al kinde of reckoning It was ordained also in the lawe that amongst the people of God everie seventh yeare should be holden holy wherin the land should rest frō labor so that therin there shuld neither be sowing of cornes nor cutting

of Vine-yardes That libertie should bee granted vnto servantes and that it should be called a yeare of rest vnto the Lorde And by like reason it was also institute that the Israelites should number vnto them seaven Sabbathes of yeares conteining 49. years immediatlie in the beginning of the 50. yeare thereafter the trumpet of a Iubilee should be blowne the 10. day of the seuenth Moneth whereon fell the solemnitie of reconciliation proclayming libertie to all the inhabitantes of the lande so that everie man might returne to his owne possession as at more length is set foorth by MOYSES in the law Now albeit that the law specifyeth that these Sabbaticall yeares and Iubilees should be kept by the people of Israel when they were come in the Land which the Lord was to giue them obtayn rest therin because they could not wel keep the same before that time yet the reason of this sacred reckoning proceeding by the number of sevens hath a grounde in the naturall Lawe which was before the written Law of MOYSES and the ensample of GOD himselfe who was before all Lawes And thereby wee may well gather that this Sabbaticall reckoning hath respect even to the beginning of the world and is to be counted even from that first Sabbath wherin the Lord rested from all his workes So that as God rested the seventh day of creation in like manner the Sabbaticall yeares and yeares of Iubilee should proceede from that beginning For MOYSES himselfe who wrote the holy historie from the creation of the worlde to his dayes knew well ynough the just reckoning of these Sabbaticall yeares and by the Spirite of Prophecie also hee knew what time the people should obtaine peaceable rest and possession of the Lande of Chanaan that then they might begin to reckon by these Sabbatical years and yeares of Iubilee For an evidence whereof wee finde by just reckoning which hereafter is to be sette downe that the 6. yeare of the governement of IOSVA wherein the Israelites obteined peaceable possession of the Lande the same being devided amongst them was a Sabbatical yeare and also the complete 49. yeare of a Iubilee So that from the creation vnto that time there wil be 357. Sabbathes of yeares and 51. Iubilees And the next yeare thereafter which was the 7. yeare of IOSVA will be found a just beginning from the which forward the people reckoned both their Sabbaticall yeares and yeares of Iubilee whereupon it followeth that this manner of counting by Sabbaticall yeares is the most sure reckoning of the yeares and ages of the World and may wel be deduced brought to this present yeare commonly counted the 1600. from the birth of Christ. In the which reckoning wee haue to proceede after this manner First taking an fixed yeare out of the Scripture being surely a Sabbaticall yeare for an fixed stay or ground and then reckoning from the same backe to the beginning of the Worlde and like wise forward to the yeare of the Nativitie of Christ and so consequently to this presente yeare These stayes or rootes of time in Greek are called Epoche in Latine Aera temporum And wee shall take the ground therof for our present reckoning out of the 28. chap. of the Prophet IEREMY where he reckoneth the first yeare of K. Zedekiah wherein Hananiah the false Prophet prophecyed against him to be the 4. year of Sabbath or week of years So that the 4. year of Zedekiah by his reckoning was a Sabbatical year also the 11. yeare Next we haue to remember that the coūting of these Sabbatical yeares after the Law of Moyses is from the tenth day of the seventh Hebrew Moneth called Tishri which answereth for the most part to our September and not from Ianuarie which beginneth our yeare By reason whereof the one halfe of the Sabbaticall yeare preceedeth the beginning of our yeare and the other halfe or little more followeth after Therefore it is that some reckoning with the Iewes from Tishri or September count a year more then others that reckon from Ianuary But because the count made from Ianuary comprehendeth the most parte of the Sabbaticall yeare I. with the most number of Christian reckoners follow it Thirdly by this reckoning wee suppose the Worlde to haue bene created in this seaventh Moneth called Tishri which then probably was the first Moneth of the yeare albeit it was institute thereafter at the departing of the Israelites out of Aegypt that Nisan or the Moneth of Abib aunswering for a greate parte to our March should be the first Moneth Now comming to our counte let vs take the elleventh yeare of ZEDEKIAH which being a Sabbaticall yeare was called the yeare of desolation because from it begouth the captivitie of Babylon and let it be the ground of our reckoning That yeare I saye counting back was the 3360. yeare from the creation of the world which being divided by seavens hath for the quotient number as the Arithmetickes tearme it 480. Sabbathes of yeares no superabundant od years And to prooue historicallie this to be a just reckoning of the yeares of the Worlde by particular count of the Scripture wee haue first from the creation to the floud of NOAH 1656 yeares Then from the floud to the promise made to ABRAHAM 367. yeares And from the departing of the Israelits out of Aegypt 430. years And frō the departing to the buylding of the Temple by SOLOMON 480 yeares And last from the buylding of the Templ● to the elleventh yeare of ZEDEKIAH 427. yeares The whole summe of these yeares collected come justly to 3360. years Now to trie other reckonings which haue not respect to Sabbaticall yeares not to bee right let vs take for example the supputation of them who suppose ABRAHAM to haue beene borne the 130. yeare of TERAH his father not as the Scripture speaketh in the 70. yeare By that count we must adde to the former reckoning 60. yeares moe And so the 11. yeare of ZEDEKIAH would be from the creation the 3420. yeare which yeares being divided by seavens there will remaine after the division conteining 488. Sabbathes of yeares 4. superfluous and odde yeares And so aggreeth not that the 11. year of ZEDEKIAH should be a Sabbaticall yeare as I haue proven it to be by reckoning of the Prophet IEREMY An other example Supposing as some others do that the children of Israel remayned in Aegypt the whole space of 430. yeares whereas by our former count which may be verifyed by Scripture their remayning there was onely 215. yeares By this their rekconing we must adde other 215 yeares to our former count and so the 11. yeare of ZEDEKIAH would be the 3575. yeare from the beginning of the world Nowe dividing the number by seaven there will remayne after the division of 510. Sabbathes of yeares 5. odde yeares whereby we may vnderstand that reckoning not to be right The like wee may perceiue in all other reckonings that

next following The Sundayes letter that yeare being D. the Cycle of the Sunne fourteene the yeare of Christ. 1656. being compleet the same letter should be the Sundaies letter in the 1657. yeare the Cycle of the Sunne 14. And so consequently the Cycle of the Sunne with the Sundaies letter should proceede as they stand in the old Almanacks without any variation for many yeares and as may be supposed should neede no further reformation to the ende of the world which appeareth now shortly to approch At least every 134. year leaving out a leape year should hold it at the old stand And this should make no perturbation nor varietie in the order of the Kalendar nor in the dates of Obligations or cōtracts neither change any of those dayes which are called fixed Feasts from the dayes whereon they are now placed in the olde Kalendare Let this much then suffice for reformation of the Kalendare to the course of the Sunne There is also an other alteration vsed in this late reformed Kalendare concerning moveable Feasts which commeth by occasion of the course of the Moone and defection of the Golden number For the which it is to be vnderstood that they that first placed and set downe the Golden number in the Kalendare as it is now for it was not Iulus Caesar set the number of the year therof directly against the day of each Moneth wherein the Moone then changed But now the course of the change is flitted forward from those places four daies with the more Now this number called the Golden number by reason of the vtilitie thereof whereby it was worthy to be written in Golden letters was placed in the Kalendar to agree the course of the Moone with the Sunne as is supposed by DIONYSIVS called EXIGVVS a certayne Romane Abbotte who after the Nicene Councell about the yeare of Christ fiue hundreth thirtie two yeares sette out that Cycle which is called the Paschall Cycle or rather corrected that which was set out of before a two hundreth and nine yeares by EVSEBIVS CAESARIENSIS This Golden number I say which is verye profitable indeede conteining the space of nine teene yeares was beleeved by the auncientes to compryse in the periode or revolution thereof the exacte course of the motion of the Moone So that after the accomplishmente of nine-teene yeares the Moone did returne to the same course that shee was in before at the beginning therof and so they thought it sufficiente to agree the dayes of the Romane Kalendar with the chaunges of the Moone precisely Al-be-it it bee of veritie that the true motion of the Moone in the space of nine-teene yeares is more then to agree exactlie to the course of the Sunne by the space of one houre and an halfe or thereby which in the space of three-hundreth and foure yeares or little more will make vp an whole daye wherein the reckoning of the course of the Moone by the Golden number exceederh the course of the Sunne and goeth forwardes in our Kalendars And so in the space of an thousand two-hundreth seventy two years which is from the time of the Nicene Councel from the which DIONYSIVS reckoned to witte from the yeare of Christ three hundreth twentie eight vnthis present yeare a thousand six hundreth years are foure times three-hundreth and foure yeares and more-over fifty sixe odde yeares which adde foure dayes as was declared and almost sixe houres of the forward passing of the course of the Moone attour the reckoning of the Golden number Now because this DIONYSIVS that placed the Golden number in the Kalendar tooke no heede to this or rather vnderstood it not by processe of time the changes of the Moone fall not vpon the dayes of the Kalendare where DIONYSIVS placed the Golden number but foure dayes and some-times fiue dayes thereafter And also those dayes which are called moveable Feastes and namely the Feaste of Easter or Pasche daye cannot bee rightlie reckoned by the Cycle of DIONISIVS called the Paschall Cycle conteining the number of fiue hundreth thirtie two yeares that is nineteene times twenty eight yeares by multiplying the Cycle of the Sunne by the Cycle of the Moone for albeit this man named Dionysius Exignus a certaine Abbot of Rome who lived in the dayes of Iustinian the Emperour about 500. yeares after the incarnation of Christ the authour of the Romanes Paschall count or Cycle intended by setting out of that his Cycle of 532. yeares to giue a perpetuall and infallible rule to know the true daye of the celebration of the Paschall feast called Easter after the minde and determination of the Nicene councell which decreed that all times thereafter the Feast of Easter should be celebrate vpon that Sunday which immediatly followed the fourteen day of the Moone which the Hebrewes hold to be the fourteen day of their first Moneth called Nisan next after the Spring time Equinoctium which then fell out in March as it doth nowe but not vppon the same day of the Moneth Yet this Dionysius was deceived in two things For first as I haue told he took no heed or vnderstood not that every ninteene yeare the Golden number lacketh of the juste reckoning an houre and halfe an houre or thereby Secondly hee remembred not the leape yeare in his reckoning or else supposed the Moone to haue a leape yeare aswell as the Sunne which very proposterously is called Saltus lunae the leaping of the Moone by some For the Moone hath no leaping but keepeth a constant course Herefore it is that the Cycle of Dionysius serveth not exactly to count the course of the Moone and those moveable Feastes For Easter day as it is commonly now counted by that Cycle falleth out often-times a Moneth and more after the just appoynted time of the Nicene councell And if we shall follow the old Romane Kalendar and Golden number set downe by Dionysius there in minding to celebrate Easter day thereafter we shall see a great variation from the decree of the councell For sometime Easter daye shall fall before the middest of March the Tuesday called Fastings even shall fall in Ianuary And Whit sunday sometime in April And after the reckoning of the Hebrewes our Easter day shal fal in the Moneth of Adar the last Moneth of the yeare and not in Nisan the first Moneth For the which I wil giue you one example In the yeare of our Lord 1598. lately by past according to the decree of the Nicene Councell and late Kalendar set outby Lilius Easter day fell vpon the twelft daie of March in the olde Kalendare and Almancks whereby we yet reckon in England and Scotland And Whit sunday vpon the last daye of Aprill And Fastings-euen vpon the twenty foure of Ianuary Whereas after the vulgare maner and count Easter daie was celebrate that yeare the sixteenth daie of Aprill Whit-sunday the fourth of Iune And Fastings-even the last of February Yee see the distance betweene the one calculation and the other